1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a structure for discharging gas from clothes dryers in respective households in an apartment building, especially a high-rise apartment building, to outside the building, and a clothes dryer manufactured suitable for such an exhaust structure. More particularly, the present invention relates to an exhaust structure suitable to discharge gas from clothes dryers, taking into account features of the gas from the clothes dryers.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Currently in large cities, apartment buildings are becoming a general residence type. Conventionally, most apartment buildings have had 15 stories or less. However, apartment buildings over 20 stories, even 30 to 40 stories or higher, are currently constructed.
In a relatively low-rise apartment building, a conventional gas discharge structure has no serious problem. Even if there is a problem, the problem can be solved by opening windows in respective households to let some fresh air in.
However, a high-rise apartment building has a different situation. A wind speed is low at a low story of the building due to friction with the ground surface, various obstacles such as buildings, or the like. On the other hand, a wind speed becomes higher as it goes to a higher story of the building, because an influence by friction with the ground surface or obstacles such as buildings becomes weak.
Moreover, a vortex becomes more intensive as it goes to a higher story of the building. In other words, because there are fewer obstacles around the high story of the building, wind colliding with the high-rise building climbs a wall of the building or goes over a top of the building. When the wind climbs the wall of the building or goes over the building, the wind speed becomes faster, and even a vortex is formed. Because of the above phenomenon of the wind, it is difficult to ventilate a room by opening the window at the high story of the high-rise building.
Accordingly, as a structure for discharging gas from each household in a high-rise apartment building, there are provided a riser pipe mounted in a vertical direction crossing every floor, and one or more branch pipes connecting each household and the riser pipe. The smell of food generated from a kitchen is discharged to the riser pipe via the branch pipe through a vent hole provided in the kitchen, and gas in a bathroom is discharged to the riser pipe via the branch pipe through a vent hole provided at a ceiling of the bathroom. A non-power fan, which rotates by wind, is mounted above a top of the riser pipe. The non-power fan assists the discharge of the gas from the riser pipe to the outside of the building.
However, the strong wind rushing to a discharge opening at the top of the riser pipe in the high-rise apartment building disturbs smooth discharge of the gas through the riser pipe by the non-power fan.
Moreover, because it is difficult to vent a room by opening the window in the high-rise apartment building, there is generally provided a dryer. Of the dryers, a dryer capable of generating hot air by burning fuel produces harmful exhaust gas including carbon monoxide in addition to general exhaust gas. The conventional high-rise apartment building has a problem such that the exhaust gas cannot be discharged.
Further, the conventional exhaust structure is not suitable for the discharging of the exhaust gas from the clothes dryer, having characteristics of including much moisture, many foreign substances, such as lint, and harmful substances, such as carbon monoxide, when generating hot air by burning fuel. Still further, the conventional exhaust structure is not suitable for the clothes dryer, because the clothes dryer is operated for a long time and produces a large amount of exhaust gas.